I've signed by to run my 8^th race with Team Challenge and I need your help! I will complete the 13.1-mile Napa to Sonoma Wine Country Half Marathon on July 15, 2012, to raise funds and awareness for research to eliminate Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

Why am I running another half marathon?

I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease at age 12. (Read My Experience with Crohn's.) Crohn's disease is a chronic (ongoing) disorder that causes inflammation of the digestive or gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Although it can involve any area of the GI tract, it most commonly affects the small intestine and/or colon. And Crohn's disease can affect the entire thickness of the bowel wall.

It is estimated that as many as 1.4 million Americans have Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis; however, many more suffer in silence due to potential embarrassment and alienation. Crohn's disease may occur in people of all ages, but it is primarily a disease of adolescents and young adults, affecting mainly those between 15 and 35. But you can make a difference!

Get a limited edition book just for donating!

This season, I'm doing something unique and different as part of my fundraising effort. I've written "Wine, Guts and Glory (A Team Challenge Mystery)" — a 150-page fictional novel set against the backdrop of Team Challenge and the Napa to Sonoma Half Marathon. (Read a Short Excerpt.) And the only way you can get a copy is by making a donation to Team Challenge through this web page:

• $15 to $49 Donation — You will receive an ebook of "Wine, Guts and Glory."
• $50 to $99 Donation — You will receive a first edition paperback of "Wine, Guts and Glory," signed and numbered by the author.
• $100 or Higher Donation — You will receive a first edition hardcover of "Wine, Guts and Glory," signed and numbered by the author.

Additional Details:

• You must provide an email address while making your donation in order to receive the book.
• A download link for the ebook will be emailed to all qualifying donors on Monday, July 9, 2012.
• The hardcover and paperback versions of the novel will be shipped to qualifying donors the week of July 16, 2012. Donors will be contacted by email and asked to provide a shipping address.
• All Shipping & Handling costs within the United States will be donated/paid by the author — there is no additional cost to you beyond your donation.
• Any International Shipping Costs must be covered by the donor prior to shipment.
• "Wine, Guts and Glory" will NOT be available for purchase through any other venue.
• A maximum of 150 numbered hardcover and paperback copies of "Wine, Guts and Glory" will be produced.

Please help make a difference!

Together, we can make a difference! As a member of Team Challenge, I have a coach, a training program, and teammates to support me. I've committed to a daily training schedule, plus additional training with the Wisconsin team on the weekends, and I’ve promised to raise $4,000 in donations to The Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA).

I hope you agree with me about the importance of this cause. Please help support me by giving generously. Click now in the upper right corner of this page to make your donation. Let's Beat Crohn's! Thank You!